Approval of Handbooks and Directives
5.10.0
The law directs that in each school building containing the grades nine to twelve,
inclusive, the Principal, in consultation with the school council, shall prepare and
distribute to each student a handbook setting forth the rules pertaining to conduct
of students. The school council shall review the handbook each spring to consider
changes in the disciplinary policy to take effect in September.
It is essential that the contents of all handbooks conform to School Committee
policies. It is also important that all handbooks bearing the name of the school
system or one of its schools be of a quality that reflects credit on the school
department. Therefore, the Committee expects handbooks requiring approval to be
approved prior to publication by the Committee and/or the Superintendent.
Committee approval will be necessary for any handbooks that pertain to required
standards of conduct for employees or students so that their contents may be accorded
the status of Committee-approved policy or regulation. The Superintendent will use
his/her judgment as to whether other specific handbooks need appropriate Committee
approval; however, all handbooks published will be made available to the Committee
for informational purposes.
Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary all student handbooks
shall contain the following provisions:
1. Any student who is found on
school premises or at school-sponsored or school- related events,
including athletic games, in possession of a dangerous weapon,
including, but not limited to,
a gun or a knife; or a controlled substance as defined
in chapter ninety-four C, including,
but not limited to, marijuana, cocaine, and
heroin, may be
subject to expulsion from the school or school district by the
principal.
2. Any student who assaults a
principal, assistant principal, teacher, teacher's aide, educational staff or
non-educational staff on school premises or at school-
sponsored or school-related events, including athletic games, may be subject to
expulsion from the school or school district by
the principal.
3. Any student who is charged with
a violation of either paragraph (1) or (2) shall be
notified in
writing of an opportunity for a hearing; provided, however, that the
student may have
representation, along with the opportunity to present evidence
and witnesses at said hearing before the
principal.
4. After said hearing, a principal
may, in his/her discretion, decide to suspend rather than expel a student who has
been determined by the principal to have violated
either paragraph (1) or
(2).
5. Any student who has been
expelled from a school district pursuant to these
provisions shall have the
right to appeal to the superintendent. The expelled student shall have ten
days from the date of the expulsion in which to notify the
superintendent of his/her appeal. The student has the right to counsel at a hearing
before the superintendent. The subject matter of the appeal shall not be limited
solely to a factual
determination of whether the student has violated any
provisions of this
section.
6. When a student is expelled
under the provisions of this section, no school or
school district within the
commonwealth shall be required to admit such student
or to provide educational services to said
student. If said student does apply for admission to another school or
school district, the superintendent of the school
district to which
the application is made may request and shall receive from the
superintendent of the school expelling said student a written statement of the
reasons for said expulsion.
LEGAL REFS: M.G.L. 71:37H
First Reading: April 23, 2013
Second Reading: May 7, 2013
Adopted: May 7, 2013